Avocado tree named ‘BEN-YA&#39;ACOV1’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct avocado of Persea americana P. Mill. named ‘BEN-YA&#39;ACOV1’, particularly characterized by lower tendency towards alternate bearing, Phytophthora cinnamomi and salinity resistance, and induced productivity on the grafted varieties.

Botanical name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Perseaamericana P. Mill.

Variety denomination: ‘BEN-YA'ACOV1’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of avocadotree, botanically known as Persea americana P. Mill. of the Lauraceaefamily, and hereinafter referred to by the variety denomination‘BEN-YA'ACOV1’.

Clonal avocado rootstocks were developed in Israel on a small scalebetween the years 1962 to 1977 and on a large scale in the yearsfollowing. During the entire period about 220 different rootstocks havebeen developed in an attempt to solve soil problems caused by stressfactors such as salinity, lime, poor aeration and root-rot, and variouscombinations of these factors, while simultaneously improvingproductivity. Uniformity among trees and dwarfness were also taken intoaccount as part of the search for better rootstocks. The developmentprocess included field evaluation on a very large scale, in which 350experiments and 65000 trees took part.

The new Persea americana P. Mill. ‘BEN-YA'ACOV1’ was discovered andselected by the inventors, Avraham Ben Ya'akov, Miriam Silberstein, andVered Irihimovitch, growing in a cultivated area in the late 1970's inMa'agan Michael, Israel. The new Persea americana P. Mill.‘BEN-YA'ACOV1’ was selected by the inventors based on lower tendencytowards alternate bearing, Phytophthora cinnamomi and salinityresistance, induced productivity on the grafted varieties.

Asexual propagation of the new Persea americana P. Mill. variety by theFrolich method for vegetative propagation was first performed in March1980 in the Volcani Center, Israel and has demonstrated that thecombination of characteristics as herein disclosed for the new varietyare firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of asexualpropagation. The new variety propagates true-to-type.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe characteristics of ‘BEN-YA'ACOV’ which in combination distinguishthis avocado tree as a new, unique and distinct variety:

-   -   1. lower tendency towards alternate bearing;    -   2. Phytophthora cinnamomi resistance;    -   3. Salinity resistance; and    -   4. Induced productivity on the grafted varieties.

Of the many varieties known to the present inventors, the most similarin comparison to the new Persea americana P. Mill. ‘BEN-YA'ACOV1’ isPersea americana P. Mill. ‘DEGANIA 117’ (unpatented) which differ fromthe new variety ‘BEN-YA'ACOV1’ in the characteristics described in Table1:

TABLE 1 Comparison with most similar variety. New Variety ComparisonVariety Characteristic ‘BEN-YA′ACOV1’ ‘Degania 117’ Productivity Highproductivity as High productivity as rootstock for ‘Pinkerton’ rootstockfor ‘Hass’, ‘Etinger’ and ‘Pinkerton’ Tree vigor Dwarfing type Vigoroustype characteristic

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of thenew Persea americana P. Mill. variety ‘BEN-YA'ACOV1’ showing the colorsas true as is reasonably possible with colored reproductions of thistype. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the colorvalues cited in the detailed morphological description, which accuratelydescribe the color of ‘BEN-YA'ACOV1’. Plants shown in the photographsare approximately two years old.

FIG. 1—Shows a typical tree of ‘BEN-YA'ACOV1’.

FIG. 2—Shows a typical leaf upper surface (left) and under surface(right) of ‘BEN-YA'ACOV1’.

FIG. 3—Shows a typical shoot of ‘BEN-YA'ACOV1’.

FIG. 4—Shows a typical vegetative bud of ‘BEN-YA'ACOV1’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Persea americana P. Mill. ‘BEN-YA'ACOV1’ has not been observedunder all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype of the newvariety may vary with variations in environment such as temperature,light intensity, day length, soil or pruning without any change in thegenotype of the avocado plant.

The aforementioned photographs, together with the followingobservations, measurements and values describe trees of ‘BEN-YA'ACOV1’as grown in The Volcani Center, Israel, under conditions which closelyapproximate those generally used in commercial practice. The describedplants were propagated by the Frolich method and planted at a distanceof 6×4 m in sandy red loam soil at an elevation of about 30 meters abovesea level with 700-1000 m3 per dunam per season of irrigation and N:P:K30:30:5 of fertilizers. Average annual rainfall is about 550 mm, with anaverage 350 mm of rainfall in winter (December to February). Meandiurnal minimum temperature in January is 7.2° C., and mean diurnalmaximum temperature in July is 30.8° C.

Unless otherwise stated, the detailed morphological description includesobservations, measurements and values taken from 2014 to 2015 and basedon two-year-old ‘BEN-YA'ACOV1’ plants/trees grown in the orchard in TheVolcani Center, Israel. Quantified measurements are expressed as anaverage or a range of measurements taken from a number of plants of‘BEN-YA'ACOV1’. The measurements of any individual plant, or any groupof plants, of the new variety may vary from the stated average or range.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart (R.H.S.), (1986 edition), except where general colors of ordinarysignificance are used. Color values were taken under daylight conditionsin full sunlight in the Volcani Center, Israel.

All of the plants of ‘BEN-YA'ACOV1’, insofar as they have been observed,have been consistent in all the characteristics described below.

-   Classification:    -   -   Botanical.—Persea americana P. Mill.-   Propagation: Frolich method.-   Growing conditions:    -   -   Light intensities.—Full sunlight.

January February March April May June Mean 17.8 18.1 20.1 24.5 27 29.2maximum air temperature (° C.) Mean 7.2 7.1 8.8 11.5 14.6 17.9 minimumair temperature (° C.) Mean rainfall 140.5 96.9 66.1 17.5 2.2 — (mm)Sep- De- July August tember October November cember Mean 30.8 31.2 30.428.3 24.1 19.7 maximum air temperature (° C.) Mean 20.6 21.2 19.4 1611.8 8.6 minimum air temperature (° C.) Mean rainfall — — 0.4 20.4 76.2130.3 (mm)

-   -   -   Fertilization.—A balanced fertilizer with level of N:P:K            30:30:5.        -   Growth regulators.—As used in commercial practice.

TABLE OF CHARACTERISTICS TREE: Age: Observed trees were two years old.Tree Type: West Indian. Vigor: strong. Growth habit: semi-upright.General shape: globular. Density of canopy: dense. Height: about 2 m.Number of main branches: 2. Main branch Attitude: semi-upright. TrunkDiameter at 50 cm height: about 25 cm. Surface Texture: very rough Colorof Bark: RHS 199B Lenticels: Not visible Young shoot Color: light greenRHS 144 B. Color of lenticel: medium green RHS 144 A. Shape oflenticels: elongated or rounded. Density of lenticels: dense. Size oflenticel: about 1 mm. Shoot Length of internode: 35-56 cm. Thickness:10-13 mm. Color: light green RHS 144 B. Vegetative Shape: conical. budLength: 3-5 mm. Color: medium to dark green RHS 152 A. Pubescence:strong. Young leaf Color of pubescence of petiole: yellow-white RHS158D. Color of upper side: medium to dark green RHS 137 A. Color oflower side: medium green RHS 138 B. Leaf Attitude relative to shoot:horizontal. Leaf blade Length: 22-24 cm. Width: 70-97 mm. Ratiolength/width: longer than broad. Shape: elliptic. Shape of apex: obtuse.Tip: acuminate. Color of upper side: medium to dark green RHS 137 A.Color of lower side: medium grayish green RHS 147 C. Anthocyanincoloration: absent. Shape in cross section: v shaped. Shape of base:obtuse. Twisting along whole length: absent. Twisting of apex: present.Undulation of margin: strong. Relief of venation on upper surface: atlevel. Relief of venation on lower surface: raised. Color of veins ofupper side: medium yellow green RHS 151 A. Color of veins of lower side:medium yellow green RHS 151 A. Number of secondary veins: about 7.Distance of secondary veins: 2-3 cm. Density of pubescence on uppersurface: sparse. Density of pubescence on lower surface: medium. Colorof hairs: green-yellow RHS 1D. Anise aroma: present. Petiole Length:25-35 mm. Thickness: 3-4 mm. Color: medium yellow green RHS 151 A.Pubescence: weak. Cross section: rounded and truncate. Lenticels: few tomedium. Inflorescence Flowering Period: end March to mid April Diameter:12-23 cm Length of Main Axis: 10-15 mm Thickness of Main Axis: 5-7 mmNumber of Branches: 3 to 5 Length of Lowest Branch: 70-100 mmPubescence: Strong Color: RHS 145A Anthocyanin coloration: AbsentLenticel Size: Less than pinhead Lenticel Shape: Rounded Lenticel Color:RHS 152B Nectary Position: Along axis Nectary Size: Pinhead NectaryColor: RHS 152A Flower Pedicel Length: 5-7 mm Number of Petals: 6Diameter: 6-8 mm Shape: Star-shaped Fragrance: Weak Petal Length: 3-5 mmWidth: 2-3 mm Shape: Obovate Upper Surface Color: RHS 147D Lower SurfaceColor: RHS 147C Texture (Upper and Lower surfaces): Smooth SepalPosition: Fused at base Shape: Obovate Length: 3-6 mm Width: 2-3 mmOuter Surface Color: RHS 147C Inner Surface Color: RHS 147D OuterSurface Pubescence: Strong Inner Surface Pubescence: Not visible StyleNumber: One Shape: Straight Length: 1 mm Color: RHS 153B Pubescence:Smooth Stamen Number: Eight Filament Length: 1-2 mm Filament Color: RHS147D Filament Texture: Smooth Anther Size: 1-2 mm Anther Shape:Elongated Anther Color: RHS 13A Pollen Color: RHS 13C

-   Disease resistance: Phytophthora cinnamomi resistance.-   Pest resistance: No atypical resistance has been noted.-   Disease susceptibility: None observed.-   Pest susceptibility: None observed.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct avocado variety of Persea americana P.Mill. named ‘BEN-YA'ACOV1’, as illustrated and described herein.